Top 10 Highest Opening Day Grossers In Indian Cinema: From Baahubali to Pushpa 2

In the pulsating heart of India’s cinematic landscape, opening day box office records are more than just numbers—they are a testament to a film’s cultural resonance and commercial might. As the world’s largest producer of films, India’s movie industry thrives on the electric buzz of release days, where fervent fan anticipation collides with grand screen spectacles. These records serve as a barometer of a film’s potential to dominate pop culture, shaping trends from fashion to dialogue, while fueling a multibillion-dollar ecosystem of theaters, streaming platforms, and merchandise. A blockbuster’s opening day haul isn’t merely a financial milestone; it’s a cultural event that unites audiences across languages and regions, reflecting the nation’s undying love for storytelling.

The race to clinch the “highest opening day” crown hinges on a potent mix of star power, visionary marketing, and pan-Indian appeal. Mega-budget films leverage the allure of A-list actors, visionary directors, and chart-topping soundtracks, amplified by social media frenzy and strategic holiday releases. When these elements align, the result is a box office tsunami—films like Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which stormed theaters with ₹217 crores, or the adrenaline-packed KGF: Chapter 2, roaring to ₹165.37 crores on day one.

Even recent juggernauts like Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and the cross-cultural phenomenon RRR and Pushpa 2: The Rule has rewritten the rules, proving that record-breaking openings are as much about spectacle as they are about soul. Dive in as we unravel the magic behind these cinematic titans and the unprecedented numbers that cemented their place in history.

List of Highest Opening Day Grossers In Indian Cinema (Highest Opening Day Collections in India)

Here is the list of the highest-grossing Indian films by opening day (highest first day collection movies in India)

1. Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024)

• Industry / Language: Telugu
• Directed by: Sukumar
• Starring: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Sunil, and Rao Ramesh

On its opening day, Pushpa 2: The Rule amassed ₹280 crore globally, setting a record as the highest day-one grossing Indian film and the highest day-one grosser in India, with ₹200 crore from the domestic market. The Hindi version alone collected a net ₹72 crore on its first day in India. The film became the fastest Indian movie to surpass ₹400 crore in just two days and ₹500 crore within three days.

By its eighth day, Pushpa 2: The Rule entered the ₹1000 crore club, grossing ₹1,004 crore worldwide, including ₹813 crore from the domestic market and ₹191 crore internationally. The film earned ₹1,408.81 crore ($162.9 million) in India. It concluded its theatrical run with a global box office collection estimated between ₹1,642 crore and ₹1,800 crore.

2. RRR (2022)

• Industry / Language: Telugu
• Directed by: S. S. Rajamouli
• Starring: N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris

On its opening day, RRR collected ₹223 crore worldwide and became one of the highest opening day collections in India. Over its theatrical run, the film amassed an estimated global gross of ₹1,253–1,387 crore. It became the third highest-grossing Indian film, the third highest-grossing film in India, the second highest-grossing Telugu film, and the top-grossing film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, surpassing Baahubali 2 (2017).

The film generated a distributors’ share of ₹613 crore, exceeding its break-even point of ₹451 crore, resulting in a theatrical profit of ₹160 crore.

3. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)

• Industry / Language: Telugu and Tamil
• Directed by: S. S. Rajamouli
• Starring: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Subbaraju

Baahubali 2 earned ₹2.17 billion on its opening day and ₹5.10 billion worldwide during its opening weekend. Within six days, it became the highest-grossing Indian film globally, amassing ₹7.92 billion.

It was the first Indian film to enter the ₹1,000 crore club, surpassing ₹10 billion across all languages in India. By the end of two weeks, its total collections exceeded ₹12.5 billion. The film grossed an estimated ₹1,429.83 crore in India and ₹380.77 crore overseas, concluding its theatrical run with a worldwide total of ₹1,810.60 crore.

4. KGF: Chapter 2 (2022)

• Industry / Language: Kannada
• Directed by: Prashanth Neel
• Starring: Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty, Prakash Raj, Achyuth Kumar, Rao Ramesh, Vasishta N. Simha, Ayyappa P. Sharma, Archana Jois, Saran Shakti, Easwari Rao, John Kokken, T. S. Nagabharana and Malavika Avinash

KGF: Chapter 2 opened with a massive ₹164 crore (US$19 million) worldwide on its first day. On the second day, it added ₹122 crore (US$14 million), bringing its two-day total to ₹286 crore (US$33 million). This surpassed the lifetime earnings of KGF: Chapter 1 (₹250 crore) and established itself as the highest-grossing Kannada film of all time.

Within 14 days, the film crossed ₹1,006 crore (US$120 million) globally, becoming the fourth Indian movie to enter the ₹1,000 crore club. It also became the second fastest film to reach this milestone, following Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.

5. Kalki 2898 AD (2024)

• Industry / Language: Telugu
• Directed by: Nag Ashwin
• Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani

Kalki 2898 AD earned ₹161.50–180 crore worldwide on its opening day, marking the third highest first-day gross for an Indian film, with over ₹95 crore coming from India. It also recorded the biggest opening for an Indian film in 2024. Within two days, the film neared the ₹250 crore mark, collecting ₹149.3 crore from India. During its opening weekend, it debuted in third place at the global box office, behind Inside Out 2 and A Quiet Place: Day One.

The film grossed an estimated ₹484 crore worldwide in its first four days and surpassed ₹800 crore within 11 days of release. In 40 days, it became the fourth highest-grossing Indian film in India, overtaking Jawan (2023). Over a theatrical run of more than 50 days, Kalki 2898 AD amassed an estimated ₹1,027–1,200 crore worldwide against a production budget of ₹600 crore.

6. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023)

• Industry / Language: Telugu
• Directed by: Prashanth Neel
• Starring: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Bobby Simha, Sriya Reddy

Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire opened with ₹95 crore (US$11 million) domestically on its first day, reaching a worldwide total of ₹145 crore. The film became the highest-grossing Telugu film of 2023 and ranked as the fourth highest-grossing Telugu film of all time. It also secured the sixth spot among the highest-grossing South Indian films, the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, and the 15th highest-grossing Indian film overall.

By the end of its theatrical run, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire had grossed between ₹618.06 crore – ₹700 crore worldwide.

7. Leo: Bloody Sweet (2023)

• Industry / Language: Tamil
• Directed by: Lokesh Kanagaraj
• Starring: Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian, George Maryan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Priya Anand, Mathew Thomas

Leo grossed ₹144 crore worldwide on its opening day, marking the highest first-day collection for a Tamil film, with over ₹79 crore (US$9.1 million) from India. It surpassed Jawan to record the biggest opening for an Indian film in 2023. Within two days, the film crossed ₹200 crore (US$23 million), earning ₹122 crore (US$14 million) from India, making it the fastest Tamil film to achieve this milestone.

In its four-day opening weekend, Leo amassed an estimated ₹403 crore (US$47 million) globally, becoming the fastest Tamil film to cross ₹400 crore. It also became the first Tamil film to feature on Comscore’s global weekend chart, emerging as the number one film at the global box office. With this, Vijay became the first Indian actor to have two films top the Global Weekend charts, following Master (2021).

By the end of its theatrical run, Leo had grossed between ₹595–620.50 crore worldwide.

8. Devara: Part 1 (2024)

• Industry / Language: Telugu
• Directed by: Koratala Siva
• Starring: N. T. Rama Rao Jr, Saif Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Shine Tom Chacko

The film grossed ₹132 crore (US$15 million) worldwide on its opening day, making it Jr. NTR’s second-biggest opener after RRR. Within two days, it surpassed ₹200 crore (US$23 million) globally and crossed the ₹100 crore (US$12 million) mark in India. During its opening weekend, the film collected ₹250 crore (US$29 million) worldwide.

By the end of its theatrical run, the film’s total global earnings were estimated to be between ₹380 crore-₹521 crore.

9. Jawan (2023)

• Industry / Language: Hindi
• Directed by: Atlee
• Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Deepika Padukone

On its opening day, Jawan‘s Hindi version netted a record-breaking ₹51.35 crore (US$5.9 million) in India, with an additional ₹24.05 crore (US$2.8 million) from its Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions, bringing its total net collection to ₹75.4 crore (US$8.7 million). Globally, the film grossed ₹131.5 crore (US$15 million) across all versions on its first day and become the biggest single day in Indian box office collection.

It became the first Hindi film to surpass ₹200 crore net in just three days domestically, overtaking Pathaan. It also set records as the fastest Hindi film to cross ₹300 crore in five days, ₹400 crore in nine days, and ₹500 crore in 13 days. On its 17th day, Jawan surpassed Pathaan to become the highest net-grossing Hindi film in India. By its 18th day, it became the sixth Indian film to gross over ₹1,000 crore worldwide and the third Hindi film to achieve this milestone, also making it the fastest Hindi film to do so.

By the end of its theatrical run, Jawan had grossed over ₹766.1 crore (US$89 million) in India and ₹401.2 crore (US$46 million) overseas, reaching a worldwide total of ₹1,167.3 crore (US$130 million).

10. Adipurush (2023)

• Industry / Language: Hindi / Telugu
• Directed by: Om Raut
• Starring: Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, Devdutta Nage

Adipurush grossed ₹126 crore worldwide on its opening day and became one of the highest day 1 box office collections In India. Despite a strong opening weekend, the film experienced a sharp decline in collections on Monday, followed by a further drop on Tuesday.

By the end of its theatrical run, Adipurush amassed a total worldwide gross of ₹350–392.70 crore.

Also See

• Highest Grossing Indian Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing South Indian Movies of All Time 
• Highest Grossing Telugu Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Tamil Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Kannada Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Malayalam Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Bollywood Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Punjabi Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Assamese Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Marathi Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Gujarati Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Bengali Movies of All Time
• Highest Grossing Assamese Movies of All Time